BELLIS Brothers farm shop and garden centre based in Holt, Wrexham, is a much-loved day out, especially during the summer months.

The 'Pick your own' experience is the epitome of a childhood summer. I can remember going with my grandparents from an early age, taking an empty punnet and sneakily picking one berry for me and one for the basket (which I no longer condone). Not to mention making the horrible mistake of wearing a white t-shirt.

It's a great way to get the whole family involved while getting a couple of hours of fresh air. And Bellis Brothers never disappoints.

While the gooseberries have finished their season, there's plenty of strawberries and raspberries available to pick. If you're lucky, you may also find some blackcurrants and redcurrants, but they're quite tricky to find.

(Image: Newsquest)

It's very easy to get lost strolling through the never ending lanes of raspberry canes and strawberry plants. 

Strawberries are in season from mid June to mid August, depending on the weather. Raspberries (my personal favourite) are in season from late June until mid August.

There is a designated car park for the pick your own experience, clearly signposted as you enter the main car park. By following the bumpy road, you'll be greeted with helpful staff who can help you park. 

If you're able to visit during the week, I would highly recommend you do as weekends can get fairly busy. Walking through the entrance hut, you'll have a choice of punnets ranging in size. You can pick as much fruit as you wish before weighing them up and paying before you exit.

A great addition this year, if the weather is on your side, is the colourful picnic area where you can sit and enjoy a spot of lunch to make your experience all the more enjoyable.

A temporary closure was announced for Friday, July 12 until Sunday, July 14 due to a shortage of ripe fruit. The experience reopened on July 15 with all updates shared on the Bellis Brothers Facebook page.

A spokesperson said: "Our fruit availability depends on several factors. If we don’t get the perfect weather fruit is slow to ripen and if we have been particularly busy we are sometimes picked out.

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"We have to ensure there is enough fruit available to pick for all of our customers as we don’t like to disappoint."

This year, no booking is required. The fields open at 10am until 5pm with the last entry being 4.30pm. It is open seven-days a week subject to fruit availability and weather conditions. 

I'd highly recommend visiting for a fun outing with friends and the family. I'm already impatiently waiting for their October pumpkin patch to open!